


The Vogue Ball

by vcg73



Category: Glee
Genre: Gen, Halloween, Tumblr: kurtoberfest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 00:24:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16377902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vcg73/pseuds/vcg73
Summary: Isabelle flexes her Fairy Godmother wings so Kurt can go to the ball.





	The Vogue Ball

The invitations to the Vogue charity Halloween Masquerade Ball had been as ornate as one would expect from a world famous fashion house. Thin parchment paper, hand-inked for added flair, with a border of trailing pumpkin leaves stamped around the edges in delicate gold foil. 

They had been delivered by special courier, each envelope nestled on a thin silk pillow, like a treasure waiting to be opened. It had been an added expense but the response was well worth it for the number of immediate RSVP responses it had produced. 

Kurt was glad he had suggested it, and the ghostly aches in his fingers and neck at the memory of the hours he had spent bent over those invitations no longer bothered him. Dalton Academy’s elective art class in calligraphy had not proven to be as worthless as he had once believed. 

Tonight was the big night. The rented ballroom was festooned in a fairyland of twinkling lights, black silk streamers lined every beam and baseboard, pumpkins and dried cornstalks peeped out from every corner, and autumn colors highlighted each table setting. The food was ready, the centerpieces were perfect, the band and photographers were standing by. 

Although he was tired, Kurt could not have felt more satisfied with his first major project since becoming Isabelle Wright’s full time Assistant. She had kept him on as a part-time junior assistant since his internship ended, allowing him to help out in everything from designing fashion spreads to writing small articles. It had allowed him to gain experience as well as making a little money to supplement his income while he was in school. 

When Kurt had finished college this summer, Isabelle had come to his graduation and she had been first in line to offer him a full time job. Kurt still had hopes for a future acting career, but he had double majored in Musical Theater and Costume Design, and had been thrilled that Vogue considered his degree as a costumer to be sufficient experience for the recently vacated Design Assistant position. 

It was prestigious, well-paying, and offered great perks such as accompanying his boss to Paris Fashion Week. The job had also proven to be an enormous amount of work, but Kurt thrived on the chance to dive in and prove himself to someone who truly appreciated his talents.

“Kurt, this looks amazing!” As if conjured by the thought of her, Isabelle appeared at the door of the ballroom, appropriately attired in a glittering silvery gown with a diamond encrusted bustier and broad floor-length skirt that swayed like a bell when she moved. Her hair had been done up in elaborate puffs and coils, held in place by a tiara that would have had Kurt’s child-self squealing with delight. “You’ve outdone yourself!”

He grinned and stood up to take her outstretched hands. “Thanks! And you look gorgeous! A fairy princess come to life.”

She swished her skirt, and preened to better show off the silvery butterfly mask on her face. She looked as happy as a small girl playing dress-up. “Well, you always said I was your fairy godmother, so I decided to dress the part.” Suddenly she frowned, taking in Kurt’s own clothing, a simple pair of jeans and a plain blue Henley. “Why aren’t you dressed?”

Kurt brushed a hand over his chest, suddenly self-conscious in his worn and slightly grubby clothing. “Sorry, I’ve been setting up all day and I figured it might be a dirty job. Which it was, because two of my helpers didn’t show up. Don’t worry, though, I’ll head out before anyone can get a look at me.”

“You aren’t staying? After all the work you put in?” 

Kurt was confused by the dismay in her voice. “Oh, I didn’t think … I mean, I wasn’t on the … I made up all the invitations according to your list?”

Isabelle shook her head, pressing both index fingers to her lips. “And you weren’t on the list so you thought … oh, honey! I’m so sorry! You’ve worked here part time so long that I assumed you knew that as my PA, you’re automatically invited.“

“No,” he said hollowly. He felt incredibly stupid. “Nobody said anything, and interns and junior assistants were never invited to the big galas. It never occurred to me to ask. And now it’s too late.”

Tears prickled his eyelids. This was the kind of star-studded event that Kurt had dreamed of seeing all his life. And his own naivete had screwed him out of a chance to attend.

“No,” Isabelle said, touching his cheek. “This was entirely my fault. I should have remembered that you’re still new to this job and made sure that you understood. I didn’t, so it’s up to me to fix it.”

Kurt shook his head. “There’s no time. I don’t even have a costume.”

She grinned over her shoulder as she turned back toward the door, grabbing him by the hand. “Leave that to me.”

Isabelle led Kurt down to the Vault, where she seemed to almost fly as she trotted around the huge room pulling selected pieces of men’s formal wear off the racks and tossing them at Kurt.

He tried on three different suits before Isabelle found what she was looking for. When Kurt emerged from behind the changing screen wearing a slim fitting black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt, dappled silver vest, and a lighter gray silk cravat with matching pocket square, Isabelle excitedly clapped her hands. 

“That’s the one!” she announced, giving a little bounce of joy. “It hasn’t even been tailored and it looks like it was designed just for you.”

She rummaged in the jewelry cases and found a pair of white gold and diamond cufflinks, then moved to a deep, double-doored cabinet filled with interior drawers and shelves. It held a mind-boggling assortment of decorative accessories left over from runway shows. 

Kurt understood why she had gone to it when Isabelle opened one drawer and revealed a collection of ornate masks. 

“There are usually more to choose from, but we’re not the first people to have this idea,” Isabelle said with a note of apology in her voice. “See anything you like?”

He tried on a few in the mirror suspended from the cabinet’s interior wall, but nothing seemed quite right. Then he saw it. The mask was made of filigreed black lace over a layer of shimmering silver cloth. The eyeholes were slanted like cat’s eyes and the forehead rose up to form a delicate fleur de lis. The mask tied on with a black silk ribbon. It had most likely been designed to be worn by a woman, but it wouldn’t be the first time Kurt had put fashion first and the mask was a perfect match for his suit.

Standing next to him in the mirror, Isabelle smiled with satisfaction at the beautiful picture they presented. Their outfits looked as if they had been designed to go together. 

“Isabelle, thank you!” Kurt said, hugging her carefully in deference to their finery. “I don’t know what to say. You really are my Fairy Godmother!”

Picking up a small decorative scepter from inside the cabinet, Isabelle waved it at their image, dusted the ‘wand’ on the shoulder of her gown, and blew a breath across its top. “Nothin’ to it,” she said with a wink. “Sadly, you’ll have to leave the ball at midnight. You know the rules.”

Smiling, Kurt linked their elbows together. “That’s still four more hours than I expected, but we’d better get up there. Hey, do you think I’ve got any shot at finding a handsome prince?“

“I can practically guarantee it.”

THE END


End file.
